Motion-picture apparatus



April 9, 1929. e. BETTINI MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Oct. 15, 20

INVENTOR, 3 ("h m/w;

-BY I w x m m A April 9, 1929. g, 1,708,410

MOTION PICTURE AIPPARQATUS Original Filed Oct. 15 D 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORI,

G M e w z "ATTORNEYs.

A ril 9, 1929. e. BETTINI MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 15 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR,

BY I $1M, Ki Mia/l V TORNEY-S- April 9, 1929. cs. BETTINl I MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 15' 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet INVEQVTOR,

m I Kmbl KB MMA A TTORNEYS- Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GIANIil'I BETTINI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS.

Application filed October 15, 1920, Serial No. 417,171. Renewed August-17, 1926.

This invention is a novel motion picture apparatus, and generally speaklng the principles involved are applicable either to an exposing improved eficiehcy, accuracy and durability;

and further objects and advantages will be hereinafter elucidated or will be apparent to those skilled in the art. To theattainment of such objects and advantages, the resent invention consists in the novel motion icture apparatus and the novel features of combination, arrangement, operation, structure and detail herein illustrated or described. In order toillustrate the underlying principles I shall herein disclose an appropriate embodiment of the invent1on,wh1ch it will be understood may be varied in many matters of combination, arrangement, structure and detail without departing from the main features, andtherefore in the appended claims there is no intention to limit the in- 'vention to such features except so far as speclfied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, showing one manner in which the invention may be embodied, Fig. 1 is an elevation view, and may be termed a rear elevation, as it is seen from the side away from the curtain to which the pictures areprojected'.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the plane 22 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a right hand elevation of the apparatus seen in Fig. 1, partly in section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 5. j 1 Fig. 4; is aplan view of the base of the apparatus with the upright standards shownin cross section. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the operating mechanism, the feeding grippers having just closed and about to advance downwardly and the shutter having just obstructed the path of the light.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5, the feeding grippers being in their lower-most position, and soon to open prior totheir return or upward movement.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view 'of the vibrating '55 carriage which carries the feed grippers, de-

tached from its operating and connected parts.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the frame part carrying the resilient guide, which bears glgakinst the front of "the picture member or Fig. 9 is a detailed view of a portion of the, picture disk.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section taken through a plurality of the perforations shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a front view of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a view corresponding in part with Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of feed mechanism and picture disk.

Fig. 13 is a front view of the image member seen in Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a front view of a modified feed mechanism.

. The details of the structure may convenlently be first described as follows:

Any suitable framework or housing may be employed. A base plate 15 is shown having two depending legs 16 at the front and a rear leg 17 which is adjustable for the purpose of setting the tilt of the apparatus. Upstanding from the base is a vertical wall or frame-plate 18 forming the main support for the various parts of the mechanism. In front of the main wall is an upstanding post or standard 19 carrying certain other parts. A circular shield lndicated at 20 may be mounted on the post 19 to exclude stray light from the curtain.

The optical parts may be of various types. 90 An objective lens 21 is shown carried at the front of the post 19; a handle 22 being provlded for focusing the lens. A spring presser or guide 23 for the disk or member carrying the images or pictures to be projected, is mounted at the rear side of the post and provided with an adjusting screw 24 for regulating the spring pressure of the guide against the front side of the disk. An opening or window 25 is formed in the post 19 for the 100 passage of light, and a corresponding window 26in the spring guide or presser-plate 23.

jection to the rear of it, and its square outline determines the extent 'of the projected image. Obviously, as soon as the first lmage has beenthrown on the curtain, it can be properly adjusted to the curtain by adjusting the window-block 27 to the proper height and in conjunction therewith, if necessary, adjusting the rear leg 17 so that the pictures will be thrown properly upon the curtain.

The adjustable window-block 27 is mounted directly at the front side of the frame wall 18, and it is there guided in its up and down movements by guides 29, 29 formed or secured on the wall. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the adjustment of the block 27 may be efiected by means of a lever arm 30. The lever may have a second arm 31 extending downwardly, and a pivot at 32. A slotted fiange-33at the extremity of arm 31 is engaged by an adjusting screw 34, which turns in a fixed part of the frame. A simple turning of the screw by hand gives a ready and convenient adjustment of the apertured block 27.

To the rear of the light aperture in the main wall 18 is a source of illumination, which may include a condensing lens shown at 35, although other arrangements might be employed. The condenser 35 is shown as mounted in the forward partof a lamp-housing 36, within which is located an electric bulb 37, adapted to be connected by wires 38 to a battery or other source of current. At each side of the housing 36 are guide lugs 39, one of which is provided with a set screw 40; and the several guide lugs are engaged with fixed guide rods 41.

A supplementary frame plate or vertical wall 42 may be employed, spaced rearwardly from the main wall 18 and connected rigidly to it by means of stationary rods 43. The guide rods for the lamp-housing are shown as mounted at the rear of the frame-plate 42. Obviously, this frame-plate may be contin-' ued in suitable shape and design so'as to constitute a casing to enclose and protect the operating mechanism of the present invention.

7 The picture member of this invention is preferably a flat circular disk 45 composed at least in part of transparent material such as flexible celluloid. The miniature images are preferably arranged in spiral order, as indicated by the successive convolutions 46 of the spiral; and as shown in Figs. 1,- 9 and 13, the successive images or pictures 47 are closely adjacent and practically contiguous.

" The actual travel therefore of the picture member between exposures is a uniform distance, the height of an image, instead of a fixed angular rotation of the disk as in certain machines proposed by others.

Herein are shown two modes of producing the requisite advancing or intermittent feed movements of the picture disk. The

preferred mode is that shown in the main Figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10. By this method the feeding is effected by a pair of opposed gripping fingers or pads, which approach and engage against the opposite surfaces of the disk and then advance, and thereafter separate and return for the succeeding feed movement. To render efi'ectivc such a feed system, the picture disk is herein especially constructed to afford a slight elevation 48 at one side, viz the image side or surface of the disk. This spirally arranged feed elevation is preferably not continuous but is in the nature of a burr or roughening and is shown as produced by a series of perforated holes 49. The disk for example might be run through an ordinary sewing machine, the needle making successive punctures and thereby producing at the face of the disk a series of slight protubcrances or separate elevations 50. The rear pad or finger of the feed device, hereafter to be described, effectively engages such roughness or elevation, thus insuring effective gripping and feeding of the picture disk.

The picture disk is shown circular and provided with a central perforation or hole 51 by which it is set in place and also a perforation or pin hole 52 at some distance from the center by which it is initially properly angularly positioned.

Instead of the gripping finger system of feed, the well known system of using a claw to engage perforations in the disk ma in some cases be. substituted as indicated in igs. 12 and 13 wherein the picture disk 45 is formed with successive feed perforations 53,

spaced according images.

When the picture disk is inserted in the machine its peripheral portion is placed into engagement with the feed mechanism and its central perforation 51 is engaged over a supporting pin or stud 54mounted, not on a fixed part of the machine, but on a carrier 55 capable of sliding horizontally by its engagement with a slot 56 formed in the main wall of the apparatus. As seen in Fig. 1, a stop pin 56 prevents the carrier initially being thrown too far to the left.

A disk 57 of aluminum or the like is secured to the stud 54 and carries a positioning pin 58 arranged to be engaged by the pin hole 52 in the picture disk. The picture disk, the disk 57 and the stud 54 rotate together, the stud having its bearing in the carrier 55. These rotary parts therefore may turn about the stud and at the same time the carrier may move radially, so that as the successive images around the spiral of the disk come into exposing position the disk and its mountings may be bodily advanced in a slowmanner to compensate for the pitch of the spiral.

It is preferred that the slow advancing movement of the disk and its mountings be to the spacing of the pitch of effected in a positive manner and herein is shown a very effective, accurate and simple mechanism for this purpose. The disk itself is utilized as the means of transmitting the necessary motion to the device which bring about the slow radial advance. The following may be the structure. Upon the stud or rotating pin 54 with which the picture disk turns is mountedat its rearward end a bevel gear 59. This is shown as engaging a second bevel gear which is mounted on a rod or shaft 61. having a handle or thumb nut 62 at its left o'r free extremity. The shaft 61 is movable radially, freely through a perforated guide block 63. The shaft 61 is provided with a thread of p e-determined pitch such "that, taking into consideration the ratio of the gears'59, 60. a single turn of the picture disk and gear 59 will bring about a radial advance f the disk in an amount equal to the the spiral. or distance between two convolutions. As before stated, however, the block 63 is not threaded but the shaft slides freely through it to permit ready and rapid restoration of the apparatus to initial or starting position. Instead, the threads of the feed shaft are engaged by amember which may be disengaged at will, viz the finger or detent 64. This may be simply a swingmg arm pivoted at 65 and having a rearward extension 'or handle 66 by which it may be disengaged and a spring 67 for restoring it into engagement with the threads of the screw, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. During opera tions these ,parts act as a stationary nut so that the turning of the feed shaft causes "slow advance. After the complete exposure of a series of pictures it is only necessary to depress the handle 66 when the carrier 55 and picture disk may be thrown back to initial position by means of the handle or knob 62. To firmly clamp the picture disk in place in the machine a clamp screw 68 is shown interiorly threadedto engage threads at the forward extremity of the stud 54. This clamp screw has a groove 68 in which loosely fits a bent spring spider 69, the extremities, of the arms ,of which bear resiliently against the picture disk opposite to the periphery of the disk 57, one of the arms having a perforation 69 engaging over the positioning pin 58. This clamp contrivance is very readily and quickly attached and detached, and it ives'a firm and effective holding of the flexib e pie ture disk without and tendency to wear or injure it. I

We come now to the operating and driving mechanism of the present invention. sleeve 70. located between the walls 18 and 42 beneath the axis of projection, may be considered the main or operating shaft since the several coordinating mechanisms take their timing from the rotation ofthis sleeve. It

is constructed in the form of a sleeve for the purpose of permitting a rigid mounting and on this stud as a bearing. Beyond and in front of its hollow portion .the operating shaft has a forward extension 7 0 the function of which will be later explained.

A combined fly wheel and optical shutter 72 is mounted directly on the operating shaft orsleeve 70. The fly wheel is shown as having two opposite balanced wings 73, each of which comes in line with the optical axis so that the projection of light is cut off during the period of shifting movement of the picture disk.

In order to rotate the operating shaft sixteen or more rotations per second, any suitable drive means may be employed such as a motor, but, herein for purposes of illustration, a drive handle 75 is shown. This han-' die is detachably mounted on a drive shaft 76 which turns in an elongated bearing 77 extending rearwardly from the frame plate 42. Inside or forward of the frame late the shaft 76 has mounted on it a gear 8. This gear drives a pinion 79 With which is .fixed a gear 80 which in turn meshes with a pinion 81 mounted directly on the operating shaft 70. The gearing may be such that one turn of the drive handle gives 7 or 8 turns, of the operating shaft.

We come now to the intermittent feed devices for rotatively advancing the picture disk between exposures. The frame wall 18 has a rectangular aperture 84. A vibrating feed carriage 85 is employed. This is shown separately in Fig; 7. It is mounted between guide members or flanges 86 at the rear side of the frame wall 18, so as to be movable up.- wardly and downwardly. Being somewhat below the level of the exposure point and the center of the picture disk, the carriage and its guiding means are set not vertically but at a slight incline, tangentto the circular motion of the disk at this point. An elongated slot 87 in the body of the carriage 85 accommodates the forward portion of the operating shaft 7 0 The carriage is also shown with upper and lower flanges 88 and 89. These constitute cam surfaces at the rear side of the carriage.

The up and down vibration of the carriage is effected by a rotary cam 90 turning with the operating shaft and mounted at the front side of the fly wheel-72, so that it lies between the flanges io r cam surfaces 88 and-89. of the feed carriage. The canal has an incline 90 whichacts first'on the lower flange 89 to throw thecarriage down and later on the up: per flange to raise the carriage, the dwells shaped to give constant contact with .both flanges and prevent loose motion.

The disk engaging fingers or grippers 93 and remaining portion of the cam being and 94 are actuated by the carriage to move up and down at proper times and are additionally caused to approach and recede so as to grip and release the picture disk. The finger or gripper 93 is shown as a small metallic plate roughened or scored and arranged near the rear side of the picture disk. The front finger or gripper 94 may be a small block of solid rubber. As seen in Fig. 5 and elsewhere the rear or inner gripper 93 is carried on a swinging arm 95 pivoted at 96 to a downward extension secured to the vibrating carriage. The swing of the arm 95 permits the rear gripper to be moved to and from the picture disk. There may be a spring 97 to retract the gripper from the disk, as seen in Fig. 14, but this is not necessary in the construction of Figs. 3 to 6.

The front or outer gripper or rubber pad 94 is mounted to move with the vibrating carriage at a point opposite the other gripper, and for this purpose a long hairpin shaped loop of wire 98 is employed, one end secured in a stud 99 on the carriage by a screw 100 and the body of the loop extending down and around so as to accommodate the picture disk itself, being guided at one place by a guide 101on the frame wall 18 and at another place by the guide 102 on the upright post 19. When the rear gripper 93 is thrown forwardly the picture disk is gripped between it and the front gripper so that on the descent of the carriage the disk will be advanced to the proper amount according to the spacing between images.

he gripper control may be through a cam 103 mounted on the forward extension 70 of the operating shaft. The shape and timing of this cam are shown in Figs. 3 and 14. It may be opposed by a front cam portion 104 so that the motion of the rear gripper to and from the disk will be positive but the front can. portion 104, shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6 may be omitted as shown in Fig. 14 when the spring 97 is used to press the feed member rearwardly. In either case the cam acts upon the gripper arm 95 through a pin or follower 105 onthe arm.

The timing of the cams and described parts will be clear from the drawings but may be briefly stated as follows: In Fig. 5 the carriage and grippers are in their upper position and the grippers closed. The shutter has cut ofi the projection of light. The cam 90 now comes into play to throw down the carriage and the grippers to the extent of the width of one picture. The carriage is now held stationary by the two dwells of the cam. At the beginning of this period the shutter again opens giving projection of an image to the curtain. Fig. 6 represents this position of the parts. Shortly the cam.103 will release the rear gripper which will be thrown from the picture disk by the spring 97 or by the cam 104. After this the cam 90 again comes into play to raise the carriage and the grippers, and after they have been fully raised and become stationary the grippers will be again closed by the cam 103 preparatory to the next feed movement.

In the form shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the feed grippers are replaced by the claw or hook 93 which enters the perforation 53 in the picture disk 45 and actually pulls the disk downwardly after each exposure. The control of the claw and its up and down movements are the same as with the first described mechanism, and need no further explanation.

As previously suggested. certain features of the illustrated mechanism may be employed in a camera or exposing apparatus for taking the motion pictures. This adaptation will be obvious, as it is only necessary to omit the optical means behind the sensitive disk and to enclose the entire apparatus in a suitable casing to exclude light.

Since many matters of combination, arrangement and construction may be modified in different ways without departing from the principles of the invention, it is not intended to limit the invention to such matters except in so far as specified in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In motion picture apparatus the combination with a bodily shiftable carrier for a rotary disk film, means for feeding such film, comprising a feeding member, a carriage carrying the same, a device for moving it into or from engagement with the disk, a device for moving the member along the direction of feed and a single shaft actuating the two devices in coordination, said carriage having an aperture through which the shaft extends.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 in combination with a picture film having distinct elevations assisting in gripping the same, the feeding member comprising grippers engageable with such elevations.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1 in combination with a picture film having distinct elevations assisting in gripping the same, the feeding member comprising grippers engageable with such elevations, and one of said grippers having a hairpin extension connecting it with said carriage.

4. In moton picture apparatus a pivot mounting for the center of a vertically rotatable spiral picture disk, a reciprocating feed member for engaging intermittently near the rim of the disk, arranged below the level of the disk center and operating at a tangential incline, optical means near the level of the disk center, positive means for bodily advancing the pivot mounting and carried disk, and mechanism for actuating the advancing means, the feed member and the optical means in mechanical coordination.

motion picture film, record or disk having aseries of images, and a close series of punctures adjacent thereto, the outstandlit ing rims of the punctures constituting a gripping elevation paralleling the image series.

6. In a spiral disk motion picture apparatus, means for rotatingly suporting the disk opposite grip members for oppositely engaging and feeding the disk, means for moving the members together and apart, means for reciprocating them in unison in the line of feed, and positive means for bodily shifting the disk supporting means.

7. Apparatus as in -claim 6 and wherein is an operating shaft driving two cams, and said L cams, one connected for throwing the grip members together or apart, the other having an incline for advancing the members when closed together, and a dwell for holding them as the grippers close or open.

8. In motion picture apparatus, for a rotarv disk film with spiral series of pictures, a central pivot for the disk, feed means operating at the disk periphery to rotate it, a shift screw for slow shift of the disk pivot. and a connection operated by the disks rotation which extends to and operates said screw.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8, and wherein a sliding carrier is employed on which the disk pivot is mounted, and the disk-actuated screw operates to advance the carriage.

10. Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein. a shifting carrier is employed on which are mounted the disk pivot, and bevel gears drivenby the disk rotation, the screw being turned through said gears and acting to shift the carrier and disk.

11. Apparatus as in claim 8, and wherein is employed a screw thread engaging device or finger which is readily retractible to free thekscrew and permit quick resetting of the dis 12. In a spiral disk motion picture machine the combination of a rotatable disk having a spiral series of feeding points or perforations, feed means cooperating with said spiral feeding points or perforations for advancing the disk in a step-by-step manner, a device or screw having a connection for causing the slow bodily shift of the disk as it rotates, and a connection operated by the rotation of said disk for actuating the device.

13. A machine as in claim 12 and wherein the disk is a picture disk engaged upon a rotatable carrier through which the slow shifting movement is efiected.

In testimonywhereof, I have aflixed my signaturehereto.

' GIANNI ,BETTINI. 

